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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
i LOVED this book! godwin writes beautifully about his country, his family and the downward spiral that one inflicts on the other. born in zimbabwe, he never really understands why his parents have abandoned their native britain and moved there - and he understands it less and less as the country declines into war under the control of dictator robert mugabe, and his parents refuse to leave. but when he learns the real story of his father's past, and begins to uncover that story, he begins to understand his parents' loyalty to a country that is becoming increasingly unsafe for the elderly white couple.
this book reads like both a suspense novel and a love story. it is exceptionally told, and you will not be sorry you picked it up!
this book reads like both a suspense novel and a love story. it is exceptionally told, and you will not be sorry you picked it up!
The start of this book immediately snagged me into the story line and then I lost a little interest. When the author was talking about his family, I thought it was fantastic. Of course the politics have to be discussed to give a back drop to the story and it's obvious impact to his life. Whatever the politics, I tend to have a hard time keeping people straight. This is totally my issue and not a reflection on the author's skill as a writer.
I can't speak to how well or accurately Peter Godwin captures what happened in Zimbabwe in the early 2000s as this was my first real foray into this difficult and sad situation. However, I thought this book was a compelling memoir and raised really important questions that felt very resonant to me today, that all people, countries, stories, cannot just be divided into victim and oppressor, colonizer and colonized with no nuance in between.
At first, I couldn't quite get into this book. I love learning more about Africa's history, but something about the first few chapters wasn't sticking. After about a hundred pages, though, I couldn't put it down.
Peter Godwin, who grew up as a white Rhodesian, is now an adult, shutting between Zimbabwe under the rule of Robert Mugabe and his new life in New York. As his homeland becomes more dangerous and less certain, he struggles as to how to take care of his parents, who remain in Zimbabwe.
While I wasn't initially a fan of Godwin's voice, the story itself was extremely compelling. The balance of family history and political context was just so to keep me interested in both, but I agree with other reviewers who question whether Godwin criticized his perspective enough. However, he does, at several points, explore the notion of whether whites brought more harm or good to the country.
I enjoyed the story, and I was left wondering what happened to his mother after the last page. I will certainly read another of Godwin's books.
Peter Godwin, who grew up as a white Rhodesian, is now an adult, shutting between Zimbabwe under the rule of Robert Mugabe and his new life in New York. As his homeland becomes more dangerous and less certain, he struggles as to how to take care of his parents, who remain in Zimbabwe.
While I wasn't initially a fan of Godwin's voice, the story itself was extremely compelling. The balance of family history and political context was just so to keep me interested in both, but I agree with other reviewers who question whether Godwin criticized his perspective enough. However, he does, at several points, explore the notion of whether whites brought more harm or good to the country.
I enjoyed the story, and I was left wondering what happened to his mother after the last page. I will certainly read another of Godwin's books.
I am overwhelmed with sorrow, for the Godwins as a family, and for a country as a whole. To think that Mugabe, the director of such depredation, lives now into his eighty-seventh year, while an entire country has been destroyed, is too much to believe, and much too much for Zimbabweans to have to bear. This is an unforgettable memoir, written by a journalist; a son; and a witness to history.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
medium-paced
This book had it all. I cried, I laughed, I was outraged. It is the autobiography of a white Zimbabwean journalist as he poignantly details the spiraling chaos that engulfs Zimbabwe as it affects his family. Having just toured Africa with a Zimbabwean guide, this book touched me deeply.
A good juxtaposition of a family and national story. Thoroughly depressing to realize that several years after this book was published the situation in Zimbabwe remains the same or worse.